Electrical switch



May 31, 1932.

N. J. WALSH. 1,860,877

ELECTRICAL SWITCH Filed May 1, 1930 Jmmtw Patented May 31, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE NICHOLAS J. WALSH, or sCHENECrAnY, NEW YORK, AssICNoR fro. WEBER ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION on NEW YORK ELECTRICAL SWITCH Application filed May 1, 1930. Serial No; 448,994.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in electrical switches and more particularly to the type known as snap or toggle switches.

An important object of the present invention is to provide means for positively and unyieldingly initiating movement of the commutator or switch element in case it becomes adhered or stuck to the stationary contacts, to the extent of repulsing the impelling action of the spring snap mechanism usually employed for moving the commutator or switch element out of engagement with the stationary contacts. In practice it has been found that, not infrequently,the commutator or switch element, after having been in service for some time, has a tendency to adhere to the stationary contacts to such an extent as to resist operation from the usual spring mechanism employed for shifting the same, and it is for this reason that provision has been made for positively and initially moving the commutator element free of the retarding forces so as to be then subject to the action of the usual spring mechanism employed ,for moving the commutator element into and out of engagement with its cooperating stationary contacts.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide a simplified construction for snap switches which enables the parts thereof to be rapidly assembled without care and attention to fine adjustments of the parts and with a minimum number of parts.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following description.

In the drawings forming a part of the application and wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the several views, 1

Figure 1 is a top plan of a switch embody ing the invention. Figure 2 is a longitudinal section on the line 22 of Figure 1. i

Figure 3 is a similar section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure l.

Figure 4: is a diagrammatic illustration of the parts compelling unyielding and positive 59 movement of the switch blade, and

taken Figure 5 is an exploded perspective View of the switch blade impeller.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 10 designates a switch casingof porcelain or-any other suitable insulating material having a cavity 11 therein for the reception of a switch mechanism. The outer or relative top surface 12 of this casing is suitably recessed at opposite ends thereof for the support and attachment of stationary contacts 13 and 14, each havin a binding post screw as is customary and lieing secured to the casing by means of the well known screws v15 extending through the casing from the back thereof. The Contact 13 hasa switch blade contacting wing 32 overhanging. the edge of thecavit while the contact 14 has a portion depen ing into the cavity and terminating at the bottom thereof in a horizontally extending wing 33.

To form a support for the switch mechanism directly upon the insulating walls of the casing 10, the side walls of the cavity 11 are provided with grooves 25 having V- shaped bottoms. An oscillatory yoke 26 has laterally extending flat trunnions 27 for support upon the bottom of-the grooves 25. These grooves 25 form the fulcrum F, shown in Figure 4:. I a

One of these trunnions 27 forms a loose mounting for a switch blade assembly 28 which has an opening 29 larger than the cross-section of the trunnion 27, so as to be loosely mounted thereon and capable of lateral play. This switch blade assembly is, of course, insulated from the trunnion and includes switch arms 30 of conducting material extending in opposite directions on opposite sides of its axis. Each arm 30 is a multi-ply element of resilient material, and is preferably composed'of a pair of juxtaposed resilientplates normally engaging one another, but parted upon engagementwith their respective stationary contacts 13 and 14 to clasp the same. I

As is customary in this type of switch, a coil spring 34 having its lower end engaging the bridge of the oscillatory yoke 26 and its upper end, engaged in an apertured dependency 35 of an operating lever 36, is employed to move the yoke 26 and snap the switch blade 30 from one position to another. A lever 36 shifts the impelling action of the spring across the axis of oscillation of the switch blade and is pivoted by a pin 37 directly above the axis of oscillation of the switch blade'to the depending flanges of a bridge plate 38 arranged to span the cavity 11 in the well known manner. This bridge plate is secured to the casing by means of the customary screws 39 entering the casing from the back thereof.

The dependency 35 is an integralextension of a metallic plate 40, which is embedded in the operating lever 36. A notch 20 is provided in the plate 40 on either side of the dependency 35 to form shoulders 21 for a purpose to be presently described. The lever 36 is usually of insulating material and as customary isrprovided with the on and off? designations well known in this art. Ordinarily the spring action thus provided is of sufficient strength to disengage the switch blades 30 from the stationary contacts, but in service it has been found that sometimesthe switch arms stick to the stationary contacts and are not freed by the ordinary spring actuation provided. To overcome this disadvantage andtoprovide means for positively and unyieldingly initiating movement of the switch blade from the on to the off position an impeller 41, shown in detail in Figure 5, is connected to the operating lever 36 to engage the yoke 26 on opposite sides of its fulcrum to initiate movement thereof, which movement is then completed by the snap action of the spring 34. This impeller 41, in the present instance, comprises a plate having an aperture 42 for the extension therethrough of the dependency 35 to dispose the shoulders 21 on opposite sides of the impeller. This impeller plate is also provided with a pair of struckup apertured lugs 43, which are adapted to receive the pivot pin 37 and connect the impeller with the lever 36. It will, therefore, be seen that this pin 37 not only forms the axis of the lever 36, but also forms the connection'between the lever and the impeller 41. Opposite ends of the impeller are provided with a pair of laterally extending spaced projections 44 which are disposed on oppoiste sides of the upper portion of the yoke'26, as best appreciated from Figures 3 and 4. These projections 44 are adapted to alternately engage opposite sides of the upper portion of the yokev 26 to swing the latter on its fulcrum to a point where the spring 34 can more advantageously perform its function of snapping the U-shaped yoke from one side or the other. It will therefore be evident, should the switch arms 30 adhere to the stationary contact wings 32 and 33 sufiiciently to repulse the tendencies of the spring 34 to disengage the switch arms from the contacts, that upon movement of the lever 36, one of the shoulders 21 will engage the side of the impeller 41 and move the same i embedded plate '40- alternately engage the bridge piece38 to restrictoscillations of the lever 36, but it will be seen that the projections 44 by their abutment with the depending flanges of therbridge plate 38 can very ably carry out this function. The projections 44 are provided upon both ends of the impeller 41 to cause an even and level move ment of the yoke 26, so that there will be no tendency of the impeller stressing the yoke at an angle to its axis or fulcrum. r

It is to be understood that various changes in the size, shape and arrangement ofp'arts may be resorted to without departing from the spiritof the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim r l. The combination with a snap switch mechanism including an oscillatory contact blade, a fulcrumed oscillatory yoke formoving the blade, a lever, spring means associat ed with said lever and oscillatory yoke and shiftable by said lever across the axisof oscillation of said contact blade; an impeller movably connected to said lever, spaced means on the lower portion of said lever arranged to alternatively engage the adjacent surface of said impeller for actuating the same upon movement of the lever, said impeller having a pair of laterally extending projections alternately 'engageable with opposite sidesof an arm of said yoke for unyieldingly shifting the same upon its fulcrum.

2. A snap switch mechanism including an oscillatory contact'blade, a fulcrumed oscillatory member for moving the blade, a lever having a dependency, a spring connected thereto and pressed against said oscillatory member; of an impeller having an opening receiving said dependency and a pair of aperturedlugs receiving the pivot of said lever, said impeller having a pair of projections alternately engageable with opposite sides of said oscillatory fulcrumed member for cillatory member for unyieldingly shifting the same upon its fulcrum.

4. A snap switch of the class described having in combination an oscillatory contact blade, :1 fulcrumed oscillating member for moving said blade, a lever having a dependency and shoulders on opposite sides of said dependency, a spring connected to said dependency and pressed against said oscillatory member, an impeller connected to the pivot of said lever and arranged to alternatively engage said shoulders so as to actuate the impeller, said impeller having laterally disposed projections alternatively engageable with oppmite sides of said oscillatory fulcrumed member for yieldingly shifting the same upon its fulcrum.

5. A snap switch having in combination an oscillatory contact blade, a fulcrumed oscillatory member for moving the blade, a lever having a dependency and shoulders on opposite sides of said dependency, a spring connected to said dependency and pressed against said oscillatory member, an impeller having an opening receiving said dependency, means movably connecting the impeller to said lever, said impeller having portions arranged to alternatively engage said shoulders so as to cause the simultaneous actuation of the impeller upon movement of said lever, said impeller having a pair of projections alternatively engageable with opposite sides of said oscillatory fulcrumed member for unyieldingly shifting the same upon its fulcrum.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

NICHOLAS J. WALSH. 

